PIONEERS ARE PASSING
Death of Mrs. Eliza Sterrett, the Last of Holt County's Original Settlers
In the death of Mrs. Eliza Ann Sterrett, which occurred at her home in this city, early Thursday morning, January 12, 1911, there passed away into the great unknown, the last representative of the settlers of Holt county. The Stephenson's and Russel's and Kee's have long since died, and now the last of the three original families to first locate in this county, passes over life's mighty stream in Mrs. Sterrett.
The Russel's and Stephenson's came in the spring of 1838, and John Sterret, wife their son, William and a daughter in July of that year. There were no others arrivals in the county that fall with the exception of the coming of William H. Russel, October 9th 1838, the first born in Holt county. John Sterrett located on the northwest quarter of section 8 township 58 range 37. This is now owned by Theresa Vincent.
The territory now known as Holt county was as Ne-at-a-wah and under the jurisdiction of Buchanan county, this following the treaty that led to the purchase of the Platte Purchase from the Indians in 1837. The Indians had about all left with the exception of a few that roamed about during hunting season.
These early settlers came by ox teams, and lived in their wagons until the coming fall. They put in their time the first month cutting grass, using a reap hook, in order to have some hay to feed their cows and oxen. The following summer they raised some corn and fodder. Much wild honey was found and their cows furnished them plenty of milk and butter.
Mr. and Mrs. Sterrett were young and in their prime she was 21 when she came here. That fall the two built them a log cabin made of split logs, stick chimney and dirt floors.
In the summer of 1839, Mr. Sterrett went over to Andrew county and secured three small chickens, bring them over with him in his pocket. From these the couple made their start in poultry, but were unable to engage in raising hogs until 1840, when in some way, he secured three little pigs, and hogs in due time they became liberally supplied with meat. She was the second white woman to cross the Nodaway river, Blank Stephenson wife only a few months before having been the first. They had to have their corn for bread stuff hauled from Liberty, Mo., in 1838-9 there being no chance to get any such provision closer.
Her husband was a member of the first grand jury and witnessed the convening of the first circuit and county courts in March 1841 and she has lived to see the county develop from a population of a dozen souls to its present population of nearly 15,000 to see the development and advancement in all the arts, and mechanics from the hand sickle and cradle and the flail to the self binder and steam engines; from the tallow dip to the electric light; from the Old stage coach in the palatial passengers coach and the flying machine. What wonderful changes she lived to see.
Until a few years ago she was of wonderful rugged health of a determined will force and decision of character, that was developed by reason of her early pioneer sacrifices; of late she had been failing mentally and her care and her affairs have been looked after by her grandson, Lewis I. Moore, with her in her home was her grandson, Alfred Moore, and they have been companion through most of the years, of her widowhood, and although he has been sorely afflicted his grief over the lost of his grandmother is most pitiful.
Eliza. Ann Botkin was born in Clark county, Ohio August 18, 1817. She was an only child, and on September 19, 1833 in Tippecanoe county, she was married to John Sterrett. Following their coming to this county, and on the creation and laying out of the town of Oregon, they moved closer to town and located on the land now owned by James B. Hindes, and they continued to reside here until the 50's, when they moved to town occupying a little house on the lot where now County Clerk Zeller resides, and Mr. Sterrett for the California gold fields. This venture was not a successful one and he came back and bought the old Sterrett homestead just south of town, which is now owned by Charles Markt.
Here on June 30, 1855, Mr. Sterrett died from cholera also their oldest daughter Eliz. whose death occurred a few days after that of her father, at this old homestead, mother Sterrett continued to live with her children until all of them were grown and gone from home. She then left the farm home and came to Oregon, settling in the house at the southwest corner of the public square where she died early Thursday morning January 12th, 1911, in the 94th year of her age; the immediate cause of her death being pneumonia.
Mrs. Sterrett was the mother of nine children all of whom, excepting Mrs. Fidelia McIntyre of California, are now dead. The more recent deaths among her children were those of Mrs. D. E. Bennett, on July 12, 1907, and William H., on September 30, 1909. She leaves 18 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. She never remarried, living a widow for nearly 56 years.
At the old settler's reunion held in this city, in September, 1905 Mrs. Sterrett was presented with a handsome rocker as being the oldest settler of the county present. She had been a member of the Oregon Presbyterian church since 1856, uniting with the church under the pastorate of Rev. William Ray Fulton.
There was beautiful side to her life, which she kept carefully guarded from show or demonstration. Annually she remembered someone of the many orphan's homes with a donation in keeping with her limited income.
The funeral service were conducted from the Presbyterian Church, Friday morning by pastor James Walton assisted by T. C. Taylor the interment being in Maple Grove cemetery. The floral tributes spoke silently of esteem and love for her that came from friends and relatives and the Presbyterian Ladies Society.
